I recognize that these apply to COLREGS for things like nav lights and stand-on vessel. Could you quote me the regulation that states that it applies to the C&D canal? It just seems to me that they might have separate regulations that have more or fewer stipulations than these COLREGS (like speed limit in certain sections, etc.). I'm just curious where the specific rules for the canal are located.

The term "is not being used" (mentioned in (c) below) may be words people question. How would it stand up in court if your engine was running, but you claimed was not engaged, but there was no good reason why it could not have been and you were involved in a collision? Any actual lawyers here?

General
(b) The term "power-driven vessel" means any vessel propelled by
machinery;
(c) The term "sailing vessel" means any vessel under sail provided
that propelling machinery, if fitted, is not being used;

International
(e) A vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelledby
machinery shall exhibit forward where it can best be seen a conical
shape, apex downwards.

Inland
(e) A vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelled by
machinery shall exhibit forward where it can best be seen a conical
shape, apex downward. A vessel of less than 12 meters in length is not
required to exhibit this shape, but may do so.

I'm sure somewhere there has been a court case involving this issue, but on the face of reading the reg....

Doesn't say that just having your engine turned ON makes you a powerboat. You must be "being propelled".

And back to the issue at hand. Yes you must power through the C/D canal, but you can still have a sail up. And plenty of trawler type boats often carry a steadying sail. I'm trying to talk a friend into figuring out a way to rig an Asym on his in preparation for a very lengthy downwind passage.

If the weather clears as expected, I am still hoping to cruise down to the Chesapeake Bay starting tomorrow (one day later than planned). Our first overnight stopover will be Chesapeake City. We'll anchor if we have to, but I'd prefer to tie up overnight at their free dock. I've tied up at their floating bulkhead before, but that is often filled to capacity on weekends. The city maintains additional slips just around the corner from that, and they are often vacant, partly because they're less visible to boaters who don't know about them:

Do any of you know the depths in those slips? The finger piers are plenty long for my 25' boat, but I need almost 4' of water at low tide. The tidal swing there looks to be about 2.5'

FWIW, I tried twice to get into the slip shown by the green arrow on June 9 at 7 pm (one hour past low tide), and ran aground about 10' beyond the finger pier with my depth meter reading 3.5'. Those slips do not have enough water for any boat with a fixed keel or long rudder.

There appears to also be bad shoaling once again at the entrance to Engineer's Cove. I favored the Army Corps bulkhead slightly (per suggestions of local knowledge) and also read 3.5' there, but slipped through without hitting a hard bottom. I may have been scraping, though.

FWIW, I tried twice to get into the slip shown by the green arrow on June 9 at 7 pm (one hour past low tide), and ran aground about 10' beyond the finger pier with my depth meter reading 3.5'. Those slips do not have enough water for any boat with a fixed keel or long rudder.

There appears to also be bad shoaling once again at the entrance to Engineer's Cove. I favored the Army Corps bulkhead slightly (per suggestions of local knowledge) and also read 3.5' there, but slipped through without hitting a hard bottom. I may have been scraping, though.

I draw 5.5' and made it into the little anchorage area by staying close to the bulkhead as Denise has said. This was about a month ago. I could not even get close to making it across to the dock side although it looked like another boat with a full keel was at the dock. Maybe there is a way in by going farther in and doubling back? I don't recall what the tide was when I went in but current was still running strong toward Ches.

...I could not even get close to making it across to the dock side although it looked like another boat with a full keel was at the dock. Maybe there is a way in by going farther in and doubling back? I don't recall what the tide was when I went in but current was still running strong toward Ches.

There is reported to be plenty of water at the floating City bulkhead, especially toward the south end. You are right, based on what I heard, that you need to enter the cove by favoring the left side, then double back to the City docks. The floating bulkhead may be a little shallow at the very north end, because the cove entrance is where the shoaling occurs. There were 3 large yachts occupying all the space on the floating bulkhead. The largest was about 70'. Those poor millionaires just had to get their free dock space!

Because the City bulkhead was filled with the big yachts, I was trying to get into the slips behind it (click on the link I posted). It's there that I ran aground.

There is reported to be plenty of water at the floating City bulkhead, especially toward the south end. You are right, based on what I heard, that you need to enter the cove by favoring the left side, then double back to the City docks. The floating bulkhead may be a little shallow at the very north end, because the cove entrance is where the shoaling occurs. There were 3 large yachts occupying all the space on the floating bulkhead. The largest was about 70'. Those poor millionaires just had to get their free dock space!

Because the City bulkhead was filled with the big yachts, I was trying to get into the slips behind it (click on the link I posted). It's there that I ran aground.

Thanks for that info. Next time maybe I'll try to get over to the dock. It looks like a nice place to visit. Last month I just wanted to drop the hook and get to sleep so didn't make much of an attempt to sound my way in.

I've seen 5ft raft boats in the free slips so there must be a way. I tend to "read" water from being a canoist. Usually the fast moving water is deeper. It seems to be true in large areas like coves and bays too. But I never move very very fast when in unknown depth areas!

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